Five myths about electric cars

March 23, 2010
By Jim Motavalli

Honda FC Sport prototype EV.

Despite how many times they're told differently, some Americans persist in their belief that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Sorry, nope. And almost as enduring are the myths about the forthcoming electric vehicles. So let me use my bully pulpit here to dispel some of the more common rumors, half-truths and innuendos.

1. Electric vehicles will be slow "Ralph Nader-mobiles." Definitely wrong. I've driven every single one that will be out this year, and not one of them was a slug. Electric motors benefit from huge low-end torque, so they're actually very fast indeed off the line. That makes even some of the little econo-boxes capable of blowing off complacent Camaros and Mustangs. And some EVs, such as the Tesla Roadster and Fisker Karma, are serious high-performance cars.

2. Electric vehicles will be expensive. This is a half-truth, since the purchase price will indeed be higher than you're used to paying. Expect $35,000 to $40,000 for entry-level cars the size of a Subaru Forester. But the last time I looked, nobody was subsidizing my purchase of gas-powered cars, and there is money for EVs. Specifically, there's a $7,500 federal tax credit for the purchase of battery cars, and a second credit of up to $2,000 that will pay up to 50 percent of your home charger installation. It's even better if you live in certain states. California just launched a $5,000 "cash-for-clunkers" type rebate (much better than a tax break) to early adopters of EVs there. Other states are similarly generous. Oklahoma (who knew?) subsidizes half the purchase price of battery cars, which made it possible to buy Wheego EVs for only $2,500, and more than 100 have already been sold there.

3. Electric vehicles will be unsafe. You're not going to get shocked when you plug them in, and battery acid won't spill all over you in an accident. Automakers, working with the Society of Automotive Engineers, have standardized the ultra-safe five-pin J1772 connector. Battery packs, heavily protected from passenger compartments, will be mostly under the car. The biggest safety issue so far is whether they'll be heard by pedestrians, a challenge some carmakers are addressing by having them produce tailor-made noises (they could even be like ringtones).

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Here's a video look at some of the newer (and sexier) EVs, many of which will be headin' out on the highway soon.

4. Charging electric vehicles will be a hassle. Never have I seen so many great minds working to make something as simple as possible, and they've pretty much succeeded. Carmakers and charging companies are lobbying for, and will probably get, streamlined rules for home wiring, which should reduce installation times from a month to 24 hours. Your home charger (about $2,000 installed) is likely to be addressable like the cable box, which means you'll be able to program charging times from your laptop or cell phone. Utilities are very pro-EV, and will be offering lucrative time-of-day pricing to encourage customers to charge at night. But you don't have to get up in the middle of the night to plug-in _ the charger will be smart enough to start the clock ticking on its own.

5. Electric vehicles aren't really clean because they use electricity from coal plants. This one is undoubtedly true, in that battery cars are not "zero emission" on a "well to wheels" basis. Coal power is indeed dirty power. But, all things considered, EVs are still much better for our planet than gasoline cars. According to Sherry Boschert, author of the book Plug-In Hybrids: The Cars that Will Recharge America (New Society), EVs reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 11 to 100 percent (depending on the type of power plant) compared to internal-combustion cars, and 24 to 54 percent compared to hybrid cars. Even if all our plants burned coal, we'd still reduce CO2 by as much as 59 percent with people driving only EVs. Boschert's primary source was a study by the federal Argonne National Laboratories.

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24 comments

A good accurate article on EV's. I've driven them every day for a decade and saved large amounts of money, gas and my running costs are 25% of similar ICE's. Next yr gas will be $5/gal just as these EV's come out will make them look real good.

They are advertised aggresively because of the price tag punch ... just like minivans started out a little pricey and then they got really cheap -- well these will start out expensive and then we will just get used to paying more ( joking joking ) hopefully the faster they go mainstream the faster the price will drop -- like the personal computer went from 2k to roughly $400 over 20 years.

And most Americans - and i have not run into any that would disagree - know that there were no WMD in Iraq... that was a statement meant for the trolls.

deatopmq has a good point...my thinking...convert the wheels into a type of alternator to at least provide some charge back to the batteries during operation, along with the energy capturing shock absorbers...and maybe some small wind turbines on the front of the vehicle. Granted, it would not offset the total power taken, but I would think it would slow the rate of power loss due to the trickle charge being fed back into the vehicles batteries...

the real solution here is the extended range ev a small generator preferably a microturbine or high efficiency diesel would be ideal for making sure people dont get stranded and for powering air con/ heaters until we get batteries that are up to the job. This would enable biofuels to fill the clean liquid fuel energy gap and get all of us in the west off middle east oil. This move to ev's/hybrids is going to set us free though it will be expensive in the transition

LuckyBrandon has a good point...convert the wheels into a type of alternator to at least provide some charge back to the batteries during operation,

If this alternator is made must a little bigger and more efficient then we can violate the First Law.

along with some small wind turbines on the front of the vehicle. Granted, it would not offset the total power taken, but I would think it would slow the rate of power loss due to the trickle charge being fed back into the vehicles batteries...

If you insulate the cockpit well (something that current cars don't do at all) then the amount of energy needed for heating is quite small. Think of all the things that are used in homes which could be applicable here without causing a weight issue: Vaccum isolation in doors, double glazing for windows, heat reflective interiors, ...

An advantage of EV over gasoline powered cars is: You get heat instantly - no more waiting until your engine heats up. No more 'blind driving' until everything defrosts. Sure it will reduce your range a bit. But since these types of cars will be mostly 'second cars' used by commuters you'll be very well aware of how much range you need - so buy accordingly.

if the car is slightly insulated, then it could be heated when plugged in for a tiny cost of energy. It could even heat up a large heat "reservoir" and use that to store heat for the trip until the next plug in.

We are so accustomed to hanging out at a pump for 15 minutes every week, why is it so much more trouble to take 10 seconds whenever you get in or out of your car to plug it in? Sure that takes time, but you do realize that you don't have to wait at the gas pump anymore, right? Oh and you also don't need to wait at the oil change place either.

you'll have plenty of heat. Tesla uses advanced cooling systems that remove heat from the cars systems. I'm sure the engineers would love to dump it somewhere convenient, the cab being the obvious choice. Heat is waste, but it is unavoidable, you don't need to worry,the car isn't running at room temp. Turbines on the front would likely increase drag and counter any energy generating benefit of using them.

A powerfull electric heater will use about 1 kiloWatt. That is just about 5% of what a normal car has at its disposal (The Tesla Roadster uses 21kWh to go 100 miles). I see no problem in significantly reducing range/power of your car by simply turning on a heater.

Why not use capacitors instead of batteries, which are 90%+ efficient to approx 60% for batts, and safer. And use braking and suspension movement for charging. It seems you can more than double your mileage for the same amount of battery capacity ??

Because the energy density of capacitors (even ultracapacitors) is about one tenth of a battery per unit of weight. Batteries are already a weight issue for EV cars imagine how much worse that gets when you use capacitors.

Toting 10 times that weight (and probably volume) is not an option.

Using small amounts of capacitors for capturing braking energy (which is then fed back when you accelerate) is probably worth it, though.

the author is funny... from point 1 he is just voicing opinion which is meaningless, and amounts to, if it scares me, then its fast enough. and everyone knows what dweebish chicken littles the posure intelligent are

even funnier are all the people who think that it would be just wonderful if we could violate physical laws... except that they dont think of it that way, they just think of things that would work if they violated these laws, and are oblivious to that impossible hitch in their plans.

I see the "impossibly greenies" have encircled this article and largly shouted down anyone who suggests that EV cars aren't ready for prime time or even wanted by most people.

Its sad. Rather than going for "all or nothing" and getting nothing, you folks should really learn to go for the realistic compromise, which in this case would be gas/electric hybrids. Had you argued for them instead in this forum you might have won over a few converts.

Well, maybe.

And whats with El Nose for bringing in politics to the discussion, or COCO for bringing in conspiracy theories?

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